2011 Alabama Crimson Tide vs Penn State Nittany Lions

The Alabama Crimson Tide kicked off the 2011 season by taking on the Penn State Nittany Lions. At this point Joe Paterno was still at the helm and news a major scandal had yet to be broken. So much hype and anticipation preceded the match up. For Alabama, this would be AJ McCarrons first start and he would have to share time with another starting QB contender, Philip Sims. McCarron went on to win the starting job in this game, much more thereafter, becoming one of the most decorated quarterbacks in Alabama football history.